Tryst with Destiny - Sitting on a Time Bomb!

At mid-night, sixty Five years ago, our first Prime Minister made the nation and world ready for India’s tryst with its destiny…but years down that eventful date, I wonder what is the destiny of our nation? Have we understood and defined, quantified this word called destiny!

Two countries got their independence almost during the same time- India & China. While latter took their destiny seriously and grew leaps and bounds, India grew but not at the rate as was expected. Why? While comparing with China might be little unfair, as the laying foundations and principles have differed but after 65 years, it is time for us to retrospect on our destiny that was to be.

It is time to see the exact position of India, where it is. And I feel that presently we are sitting on a Time Bomb!

But before we proceed, let us consider indisputable facts :

v     Congress has ruled the country for 52 years

v     Out of the 52 years, one family has ruled the country for 43 years. (I have safely included the present Cong Govt of Dr. Manmohan Singh a part of the same family since his government is run by 10 Janpath)

So what has Congress, which ruled the country for the maximum time, destined for the country?

The country, initially ‘destined’ as democratic, secular, peace loving, developed country presents a different picture today!

The last 65 years has rather seen India getting more and more divided against getting united for a common cause, as was at least hoped for.  

While in terms of making a global presence, much more remains to be desired but internally too, today we are truly speaking of a nation on the brink of fragmentation. The situation can be drawn parallel from conditions before French revolution or in contemporary times, condition prevailing in USSR before it broke down.

This country has seen social divide beyond anyone’s imagination.  While riots on communal lines have been a regular feature, there have been new tendencies and upsetting trends, yet to be controlled.

No free independent country in history has seen an exodus of its own indigenous people out of sheer fear and threats but India achieved this dubious ‘feat’ when starting late 80s Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their own land of over 5000 years. The reason for this exodus was the complete blind eye policy of Congress regime under Late PM Rajiv Gandhi to the ever emanating threats of dissidence from the valley. Nothing was done then, Nothing is done even now.

 The Kashmir problem was the result of clear absence of anything closely resembling a policy, a short sightedness on the part of our first PM. Continuous suggestions from people like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had gone unheeded and today we are facing this demon threatening our nation.

If Kashmir was not enough, the same mistake of ignoring warnings was followed by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the daughter of the first PM, giving us the most unwanted and undesired problem of Sikh militancy. While the militancy was controlled, nation saw the riots of 84, which once again divided the country. It left a bad taste in the mouths of every Indian.

While talking of riots, of course 2002 Gujrat riots remains the reference point for all, but there have been riots at regular intervals before and after 2002 and most of them in Congress ruled states or during Congress at centre. No riot ends before leaving a sad memory in the minds of the nation, creating a further divide.

While the basis of secularism and democracy is all about giving same importance and opportunity to everyone irrespective of their case, creed, religion or gender, Congress unleashed and fanatically practiced the policy of “appeasement of few (read primarily muslims)  for their votes”. Of course, it won them seats but gave the country a mammoth problem. It opened a Pandora’s Box, which has not closed nor will, in a long time.

While congress did no thing to alleviate the conditions of muslims, rather it befooled the muslim populace but their canister of empty promises never ended.

While Shah Bano case is a clear example of apathy of the Congress in terms of its commitment to women and nation and brought forth its two faced principles, the appeasement of muslims has today created another problem called Assam (and many other states), a state which has seen a continuous influx of Muslim illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and sadly, instead of curtailing it, Congress ruled Assam encouraged it.  

In line with many riots in its past, Assam saw riots again in the month of July-August 2012, when the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh rioted with indigenous population of the state, with both State Govt and Central Govt remaining a mute witness for almost 3-4 days before some action was taken. Rather than taking control, Congress led UPA government changed the Home Minister (not as a punishment). To speak of priority!

The echoes of this fresh riot were then seen in Mumbai when muslim community led meeting turned violent and subsequently in states like Karnataka where people from Assam just started going back to their state after reported threats from the muslim community. This reminds of Kashmir of late Eighties when kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee from their own lands.

On the other hand we have North East (again ruled through out by Congress) which is showing trends of friction. These seven sisters are simply tired of the complete apathy shown by, in their own words, India (spoken as a different nation). The entire North East, maybe barring Arunachal Pradesh, is a hot boiler of complex issues. This is another example of Congress’ complete lack of Pan India vision.

If this is not enough, we have the menace of Naxalites which has become more pronounced in the last seven-eight years. It has moved from one state to another looming large over our internal peace. Has our Congress Government put in place a single robust policy to combat this threat… answer is NO.

While politically today India has parties galore but the point to be considered is that MOST of these regional parties are breakdowns from Congress and as a result just added to the chaos.

And if this is not enough, we have something called Communal Violence bill (again a Congress creation) waiting to be presented n the parliament and if passed, will break India beyond any repair.

With caste and religion based politics has been the ethos of Congress, the nation has paid the price. Today we are indeed sitting on a time bomb with the prayer that it gets diffused. Even if a non Congress Government comes in at 2014, it will take a long time to undo the errors done by the Congress.